A clam is a aquatic bivalve that burrows in the ground, usually sand or
mud. Clams have been around for at least 200 million years. Humans have been eating them a long time too: giant
two foot clams, Tridacna costata, existed over 125,000
years ago in the Red Sea and may have been the first sea creature ever
harvested by humans! Clams can also live a long time. An ocean quahog
clam dredged up in the North Atlantic was over 400 years old, and named
Ming by researchers.

Clams are harvested by many methods. They can be harvested by hand, with
a pitchfork, with a clam rake, as well as by trawling behind a boat. In part
the method of clamming depends on the species. For example softshell clams
must be dug by hand as they have fragile shells. Besides commercial
clamming, many people clam for their own needs as well as for fun. As this
picture on the left from 1957 in Long Island, New York, shows, even
Nuns clam!

Most clams have a delicious sweet flesh and can be prepared in many ways.
Many hard shell clams are delicious raw. Fried clams are a wonderful delicacy. Baked stuffed clams, clam
cakes, and steamed clams are superb. Clams Casino, shown to the left, are a
wonderful combination of clams, parmesan cheese, bacon, herbs and vegetables
cooked in half a clam shell.

There are over 200 species of clams. Some are too small to be
interesting, too rare, or barely palatable, but many are widely available,
and useful as food and as aquarium critters among other uses. We will
concentrate on all interesting clams, with a slight nod to commonly
available and tasty ones. The clams to the left are Amandes de Mer, also
known as "Dog Cockles," which I just encountered for my first time on a
recent trip to the South of France.

Of course we like plenty of other bivalves and shellfish besides clams.
For example Oysters absolutely rock, and the term "oyster" actually refers
to number of distinct groups of
bivalves, which include both "true oysters" and others. We won't worry
about those distinctions here, but will concentrate on oysters as food.

Both wild and farmed oysters are commonly eaten, and oysters have been
farmed since at least the days of ancient Rome. Although some alleged
"purists" insist that oysters should only be eaten raw, we enjoy many
preparations and so should you!

Clams of course are very Zen. They are one with their environment living
buried in it and filter feeding the surroundings. Perhaps that why they are
supposedly so happy as in "Happy as a Clam"?

Maine Mahogany Clams
- Maine Mahogany clams are a variety of ocean quahog, although they were
though to be a distinct species when discovered a few years ago. They
are inexpensive and we cook them several ways.

Common Cockle - One of the
most common clam in Europe, the common cockle is tasty and eaten several
ways, including pickled.

Amandes de Mer - This
term means sea almonds and they are sweet and taste of almonds. Some
consider them inedible, which is ludicrous, as they do not survive
canning or overcooking well. The English, infamous for overcooking
everything, call them dog-cockles.

Places to go Clamming
- A pictorial guide from Cape Cod emphasizing what to look for and what
to avoid. Of course you cannot trump local knowledge.